Russia storms to canoe sprint double gold

Russian pair Yury Postrigay and Alexander Dyachenko blitzed the field for gold in the Olympic canoe sprint men's kayak double event on Saturday.

Postrigay and Dyachenko blazed away to win the sprint by a huge three-quarter-length margin in 33.507 seconds.

Belarus claimed silver through Raman Piatrushenka and Vadzim Makhneu in 34.266, while British pair Liam Heath and Jon Schofield taking bronze in 34.421.

The world champion French team was run out of it in fourth.

"It's a really tough competition. We've trained hard. It's the Olympics, and that's how it goes," said Postrigay.

Belarus' Piatrushenka lamented the blustery conditions

"The wind was head on. I went for it and I got a silver."

British kayaker Heath also found the going tough.

"With a headwind like that, it adds a few seconds on. It doesn't sound much but when you're going at that pace it really drags out. But I'm so pleased."

First published in RIA Novosti.

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